Cho Ramaswamy passes away

Journalist, political satirist, playwright and former MP Cho Ramaswamy passed away at Apollo Hospital in Chennai this morning.

He was admitted to the hospital recently following breathing troubles. The 82-year-old is survived by wife and son.

The 82-year-old multifaceted genius, a fearless campaigner against injustice and corruption, had been perhaps the only man Jayalalithaa admired unreservedly and sought counsel whenever she found herself in a difficult situation.

His popularity in the Tamil Nadu literary circles was mainly due to his impartial assessment of political issues, and the audacity with which he publishes his viewpoints.

He was widely considered to be an unbiased political analyst who would criticize the negatives of both the left wing and right wing political parties. In recent years, he has been applauding Narendra Modi for his diligent work towards the development of India.

He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India, K. R. Narayanan. In the Rajya Sabha 12 MPs are nominated by the President of India from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in the fields of literature, science, art or social service. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from November 1999 to November 2005.